Click the button above at left to listen to a replay of The Morning Gazette Radio Show episode devoted mostly to host Mike Killbreath ranting about Terry Crews. Killbreath has challenged Crews to a fight after negative comments made by Crews about Flint on NBC's Tonight Show. Crews played in the NFL after a great high school football career at Flint Southwestern Academy. He now stars on the hit TV show, Brooklyn Nine Nine.

"This big movie star actor needs to apologize and give a little back," Killbreath. "He needs to remember how he made it to the NFL and became the person he is because of all the great coaches, teachers and mentors in his life while growing up here. We have a great community with great people. We've just elected too many dumb politicians over the years who have let our city down."

— Mike Killbreath, Host of The Morning Gazette Radio Show

Flint Area Chamber of Commerce

This Web Site is Owned & Operated by Flint Area Chamber of Commerce Inc.

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​​​​Posted on October 16, 2016

Former Flint football star Terry Crews challenged to fight by radio show host aiming to defend Flint's honor

FLINT — Terry Crews may soon be getting some good-natured needling from his Hollywood friends about a challenge to fight a girl. They might even join an army of social media friends being recruited by a long-time local talk radio show host in his campaign to make the former NFL player apologize to his hometown. Crews made negative comments about not being a "statistic from Flint" during a recent appearance on NBC TV's Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Mike Killbreath, host of The Morning Gazette Radio Show on local air waves since 2011, stopped short of challenging Crews to fight him after saying he "checked out his muscles on top of muscles on internet photos."

Killbreath has decided instead to try and recruit Flint's two-time Olympic champion in women's boxing — Claressa Shields. "Flint is so tough that we have a girl who can knock out this big tough guy," Killbreath said. "I think we can fill Dort Federal Credit Union to watch Terry Crews take a beating for bad-mouthing Flint. Maybe we can fill all 10,000 seats downtown at Atwood Stadium."

An invitation to Shields went out today from The Morning Gazette Radio Show. Killbreath said he wants all the proceeds to go toward creating opportunities in sports for local young people.

"We're not gonna let the politicians touch it though," said the controversial radio show host who has been the area's leading critic of political leaders. His show poked fun at some with popular songs that many suggest led to their eventual defeats on re-election day.

Killbreath famously challenged former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling during a two-week campaign promoting a local fight at Flint's Kettering University for Olympic boxer Claressa Shields after she won her first Gold Medal. Killbreath started the challenge to the delight of Shields when she appeared on his show. Killbreath hasn't let his listeners forget how Walling was "too chicken" to get in the ring with him.

"All I wanted was one punch at the clown to knock him out for everybody in Flint," Killbreath said about Walling. "Under his administration, state officials stepped in to seize control with an emergency manager after state auditors determined how badly Flint's finances had been mismanaged. Part of his role on the payroll under the emergency manager eventually became being in charge of the DPW. Walling knew for months how bad Flint's water quality was after a switch to the Flint River was made to save money. He also knew about a dozen dead people because of Legionaires Disease, yet kept quiet during his campaign for re-election."

Voters elected Dr. Karen Weaver to replace Walling, and Killbreath credits the new mayor with getting attention to Flint's water problem at the state and national levels.

"She is doing a fantastic job so far and little jabs at Flint by one of our hometown heroes won't be tolerated," Killbreath insisted. "Terry Crews had a chance to spread a little Metro Flint pride on national TV, but instead he told the world how he made it despite being from Flint. I wanted to reach in the TV screen and smack him."

Killbreath, who is known for often saluting positives in his community on his radio show, has served on the Executive Board of the Flint Area Chamber of Commerce and he has been President since January of 2011. "I begin every show by reminding listeners about my primary mission, which is to serve as a watchdog over tax dollars while spreading a little Metro Flint pride."

He says Crews should apologize for his comments by writing a $100,000 check to benefit youth sports programs for children in Flint. "This big movie star actor needs to apologize and give a little back," Killbreath. "He needs to remember how he made it to the NFL and became the person he is because of all the great coaches, teachers and mentors in his life while growing up here. We have a great community with great people. We've just elected too many dumb politicians over the years who have let our city down."

Killbreath aired comments about Flint on a recent show by another of its favorite sons — Jim Abbott. They were made at a seminar for corporate executives as part of his job as a motivational speaker. Abbott grew up without a right hand, but led Flint Central High School to the Class A state semifinals as a quarterback during his senior season and became an all-state pitcher in baseball. He won college baseball's "Golden Spikes Award" as the nation's top player as a senior with the Michigan Wolverines, pitched the clinching game when Team USA won a Gold Medal in the Olympics and then tossed a no-hitter with the New York Yankess to highlight a 10-year career in Major League Baseball.

"Jim Abbott is all class and he is quick to tell everyone where he came from and he credits all the great people in Flint for helping him," Killbreath said. "Terry Crews can take some lessons from Jim Abbott."

Crews graduated from Flint Southwestern Academy and went on to star in football at Western Michigan University. He led the 1988 Broncos to the Mid-American Conference championship as an all-MAC selection at defensive end. Crews was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round of the 1991 NFL Draft. His career included stints with the Rams, an Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles.

He is best known for hosting ABC's Who Wants to be A Millionaire and is currently starring in the hit Fox TV sitcom Brooklyn Nine Nine as NYPD Sergeant Terry Jeffords. He also played Julius on the UPN/CW sitcomEverybody Hates Chris and for his appearances in Old Spice commercials, as well as films such as Friday After Next, Idiocracy, White Chicks andThe Expendables TV series. Crews starred as Nick Kingston-Persons in the TBS sitcom Are We There Yet? and as himself in the BET reality series The Family Crews.

The original broadcast of The Morning Gazette Radio Show can be heard by clicking on the button above at right below photos of Crews and Killbreath. Crews is pictured on the left. A video on YouTube is also above at left with his appearance on NBC's Tonight Show.